Sorry, Grandy.

Hey, speaking of the postseason, here are a couple of Tigers October memories, courtesy of the fabulous Baseball-Reference.com:

• On this date in 1984, Padres pitchers tie a World Series record by issuing 11 walks in a 5-2 loss to the Tigers in Game Three. Marty Castillo hit a two-run homer in the second — and Mike McClary was there. The Tigers took a 2-1 Series lead.

• And, in 1987, the Twins beat the Tigers 9-5 in Game Five of the ALCS to wrap up its first American League title since 1965. Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti is named MVP. And I’m still bitter.

Finally, Happy 83rd Birthday to Doc Daugherty. He played in only one game for the Tigers — his only in the majors: April 22, 1951. He batted one time, pinch-hitting for Virgil Trucks in the top of the ninth in a 3-2 loss to the White Sox in Chicago. He struck out against the Sox’s Billy Pierce.

Yankees

• Curtis Granderson
• Marcus Thames

Rays

• Carlos Pena
• Matt Joyce
• Gabe Kapler

Rangers

• Matt Treanor
• Colby Lewis

Giants

• Aubrey Huff
• Edgar Renteria
• Cody Ross
• Andres Torres

Braves

• Kyle Farnsworth
• Jair Jurrjens
• Omar Infante

Phillies

• Placido Polanco
• Chad Durbin

5. The Announcers. Enough has been written about the pathetic quality of baseball’s play-by-play crews this postseason so I won’t waste your time. I think, however, that I might be in the minority in saying that I don’t mind Joe Buck. His broadcast partner? Don’t get me started. Like so many things these days — Baseball Tonight, MLB Network, (gasp!) blogs, etc. — baseball has reached its saturation point for me, and the announcers certainly haven’t helped.

4. The Yankees. In the mid- to late-’70s, I hated the Yankees because they were always on TV, always in the playoffs and World Series.
Then came the mid-’80s and their irrelevance. In the 1990s I was happy for Joe Torre and Kalamazoo’s Derek Jeter (but bummed that Don Mattingly toiled all those years and never got a sniff of a World Series appearance). I also liked Bernie Williams and other players from those teams. This year’s club, though, reignited my disdain — mainly because of CC Sabathia and Mark Texeira. And for God’s sake, Joe Girardi manages every game scared to death.

3. The Calendar. Baseball’s refusal to stand up to the networks and make the postseason more tightly scheduled — a non-travel off day between games four and five of the league championship series? I can’t abide by a November World Series. Life has to go on, man!

2. The Phillies. Honestly, I have no problem with the Phillies. In fact, I like a lot of their players and have grown to love manager Charlie Manuel. But the only thing less appealing than an all-east-coast World Series would be a Yankees-Red Sox World Series, if that were possible. And don’t believe for a minute that Fox hasn’t thought about it.

1. The Tigers. Three weeks ago the most punishing Tigers season in my lifetime came to an end in Minneapolis and yet I’m still sporting the bruises. Perhaps it’s better that they lost Game 163 and spared us all the inevitable pain. (Though I still think they could’ve extended the Yankees in the first round.) The 2009 season’s disappointment eclipses ’08s debacle and it’s not even close.

I need time off to lick the wounds and heal the bruises. Time to read some books, watch some movies and clean the garage.

Tell me who wins.

I couldn’t watch the Twins celebrate, again, on their turf. (Still can’t.)

Think about it: the last time the Tigers were a division champion, they (and we) had to watch Dan Gladden and the suddenly despicable Twins celebrate on Tiger Stadium’s infield.

And the time the last two times the Tigers got close (2006 and ’09), we had to watch Joe Nathan and Co. dance a jig on the Metrodome concrete.

Sickening, really. This time I showed a rare combination of maturity and resignation all at once. Sort of.

So anyway, after a week of stewing and fretting, devouring three servings of sour grapes, followed by a weekend of Schadenfreude, I’m almost ready to move on. More or less.

Three things are still rattling around in my head a week later:

1. Andy Van Slyke. What a weird development this was. At first, I assumed it was not unlike when Don Slaught resigned after ’06: He didn’t want to be away from his family anymore. But the more we read about Van Slyke, and the less that was articulated, it became clear: he was fired. Why fire him? Because Curtis Granderson got picked off in a crucial moment of Game 163? Let’s hope not.

   If any coach were to be canned I would’ve guessed it was hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. Still, I liked Van Slyke as a player and liked having him on the staff; let’s see if the outfielders suddenly get better next season.

2. Placido Polanco. Reading Lynn Henning’s recap of Dave Dombrowski‘s postseason “address”, one comes away thinking we’ve seen the last of Placido Polanco in a Tigers uniform. Read John Lowe’s version in the Free Press, however, and we’re led to believe the door isn’t closed tight on Polanco’s return. I sure hope it’s not. This is one player who I do not want to see the Tigers cut loose. I think they’d regret it in the short term. Yes, some change has got to happen eventually, but is Scott Sizemore the answer? And are the Tigers prepared if the answer is “not quite”?

   I admit that I’m change-averse when it comes to roster overhauls — which usually equate to the dreaded rebuilding period — and when they involve good players that are also good guys. Then again, I do not want the Tigers to be in a position they were 10 seasons after the 1984 championship: still penciling Lou Whitaker in as their everyday second baseman. What do you think?

3. Tigers Pitching. I might be delusional, but even if the Tigers squeezed into the postseason last week I believe they could’ve given the Yankees more of a battle than the Twins did. Sure, the Tigers could’ve been the victim of some horrific calls as the Twins were, and the offense would’ve continued its slumber, but I simply don’t believe Detroit would’ve been swept away by New York. But we’ll never know.

But enough about me. How are you coping?

He walked just two and struck out eight as the Tigers beat the Yankees 5-0 — and Rogers slew a personal postseason dragon — to take a two-games-to-one lead in the American League Division Series.

A look through the Tigers history book reveals that they’ve been quite busy on October 6 — when they make the postseason, that is. So, I thought we’d take a look and see if there’s some historical star alignment happening ahead of Game 163. Here’s a deeper look at how the Tigers have performed (or not) in the franchise’s postseason appearances from 1907 through 1987:

• 1987 American League Championship Series - The Tigers and Twins began the series on Oct. 7. And many of us are wishing it never had.

• 1984 ALCS – A day after completing a sweep of the Royals, the Tigers relaxed and awaited their World Series opponent.

• 1972 ALCS - The last gasp of the ’68 club began on Oct. 7 in Oakland.

• 1968 World Series Game 4 - Mayo Smith‘s club got creamed by the Cardinals at Tiger Stadium, 10-1. Denny McLain took the loss and Bob Gibson cruised. The Cards went up three games to one and, well, we all know what happened next.

• 1945 World Series Game 4 - Detroit beat the Cubs 4-1 at Wrigley Field behind Dizzy Trout, knotting series at two games apiece.

• 1940 World Series Game 5 - At Briggs Stadium the Tigers beat the Reds 8-0. Bobo Newsom got the complete-game win, allowing just three singles, none after the fourth. Hank Greenberg had three hits including a home run and drove in four.

• 1935 World Series Game 5 – The Cubs defeated the Tigers and Schoolboy Rowe 3-1 at Wrigley. Tigers player/manager Mickey Cochrane and his rightfielder, Pete Fox, each had two hits in the loss.

• 1934 World Series Game 4 - Elden Auker beat the Cardinals at Sportsman’s Park, 10-4. Greenberg had a monster day going 4 for 5 with a pair of doubles and four RBI.

As for the Tigers’ earliest postseason appearances: The 1909 World Series didn’t get under way until Oct. 8 at Forbes Field. The 1908 Series started on Oct. 10 at Bennett Park, and the 1907 Series began on Oct. 8 at West Side Grounds.

Add it up, and the Tigers are 4-2 on this date in history.

What’s it all mean for today? Hey, we just report the facts.

The Question: Pennant Fever! Rate your symptoms as they relate to the Tigers’ playoff chances:

• They’re in. (33 percent, 14 votes)
• The Twins scare me. (28 percent, 12 votes)
• I refuse to answer based on superstitious tendencies. (28 percent, 12 votes)
• Talk to me in two weeks. (11 percent, 5 votes)

Take our latest Pulse Check poll, Who’s the Tigers’ 2009 MVP?, in the sidebar –>

What struck me in this piece was a nugget comparing the TV ratings for this year’s World Series Game One with 2007 and 2006.

Selig was pleased with the rating for the Series opener, a 3-2 win by the Philadelphia Phillies over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night. The game earned a 9.2 rating and 15 share on Fox, the network said.

That’s down 12 percent from the 10.5 for last year’s opener between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies but up 15 percent from the 8.0 for the St. Louis Cardinals-Detroit Tigers matchup two years ago.

Excuse me? Fifteen-percent more viewers want to watch the traditionless Tampa Bay Rays than flagship franchises from Detroit and St. Louis?

People!

(This post also appeared at BaseballBlend.com)

Manuel’s long answer eventually landed with “no” but the most damning part of his response was, and I’m paraphrasing: I know what the layoff can do to a team; I watched those games.

Yeah, so did we. Thanks for bringing it up.